Australian cap not in Guerra's sights

Sydney Roosters backrower Aidan Guerra says he has more goals to achieve at club level before turning his mind to further representative honours.

The 26-year-old has come of age in the past year, progressing from regular benchwarmer before emerging as one of the best performers in the Roosters' charge to a premiership last year.

He came off the bench in 15 of his 22 NRL starts last year but is now a vital cog in the Roosters' star-studded backrow along with Sonny Bill Williams and Boyd Cordner.

After earning three caps for Italy in the 2013 World Cup, he made his Origin debut in Game I this year before being retained for the final two matches by Maroons coach Mal Meninga.

While Australia is well stocked for backrowers, Guerra could come into consideration when Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens puts together his squad for the end of season Four Nations.

Guerra said while he went into the year aiming to earn a Maroon jersey, he had not put his mind to landing a green and gold jumper.

"I haven't looked that far ahead yet," he said of an Australian cap.

"I'm just focussed in on gaining momentum towards the finals and hopefully we can get a few wins on the board before then."

Guerra returns to lock against Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on Friday night after a stint in the centres in the Roosters' 32-12 win over Penrith last week.

The popular Rooster doesn't shy away from the fact the premiers have not been the model of consistency they were during 2013.

Their 2014 title tilt took a hit with consecutive losses to Manly and Cronulla before getting back on track with the big win over Penrith following the bye.

They go into round 20 in fifth place, but Guerra points to the fact they sit just two wins behind ladder leaders Manly.

He said they had put to one side the thought of a second straight minor premiership and were focussed on building momentum during the final seven games of the regular season.

"To say it hasn't been the best season for us is a pretty broad statement," he said.

"Obviously we haven't been consistently at our best but there's been glimpses of our best.

"I think that for us, we're not trying to make any excuses about why we haven't been as consistent as we can. It's just something we need to address and we're trying to change it at the end of the season."